Very Computer

I want to use the Promise FastTrak 100TX4 to connect 4 hard drives to
and use software RAID5 under Linux with no use of the onboard RAID0/1.
I've been playing and have made a lot of progress but I'm wondering if
anyone else has any experiences of using this card?

Specifically, do I need to set anything up in the BIOS/setup of the
TX4 card (such as defining 4 "arrays" of 1 drive each) or am I ok not
defining any and using it like a regular IDE card?

I've compiled a 2.4.17 kernel and it sees the card correctly, I've
been able to build a test RAID5 array on 3 drives and it seems to work
ok, but load average sky rockets when it's first recontructing the
(empty) array. The machine is a 1.6GHz P4 with 256Mb RAM - is this to
be expected?

Thanks in advance
Paul

begin  Paul Crick  nap3odzi3(a):

Quote:> Specifically, do I need to set anything up in the BIOS/setup of

what for ?

Quote:> ok not defining any and using it like a regular IDE card?

yes

Quote:> I've compiled a 2.4.17 kernel and it sees the card correctly,

hdparm -tT ?

Quote:> I've
> been able to build a test RAID5 array on 3 drives and it seems to
> work ok,

so your done

Quote:> but load average sky rockets when it's first
> recontructing the (empty) array.

DMA not working ?

Quote:> The machine is a 1.6GHz P4 with

another word "piece of shit" :(

Quote:> 256Mb RAM

RDram ? if not then DO NOT expect nothing more from your supa mega
blastic P4 coz it will run like a $40 Celery 766MHz

Quote:> - is this to be expected?

with p4 ? yes

Pozdrawiam.
--
RusH   // BigTowerATX CaseMod
 http://kiti.pulse.pdi.net/707
http://ut-to.kopnet.gliwice.pl
0-608-104-855 654-47-06 Piotrek

Quote:> hdparm -tT ?

hda is on the motherboard (ASUS P4B266 primary IDE) and hde is the
first drive on the Promise card:

/dev/hda:

 Model=MAXTOR 4K040H2, FwRev=A08.1500, SerialNo=572202104342
 Config={ HardSect NotMFM HdSw>15uSec Fixed DTR>10Mbs }
 RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=32256, SectSize=21298, ECCbytes=4
 BuffType=DualPortCache, BuffSize=2000kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=16
 CurCHS=16383/16/63, CurSects=-66060037, LBA=yes, LBAsects=78198750
 IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
 PIO modes: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
 DMA modes: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 *udma5
 AdvancedPM=no
 Drive Supports : ATA/ATAPI-5 T13 1321D revision 1 : ATA-1 ATA-2 ATA-3
ATA-4 ATA-5

 Timing buffer-cache reads:   128 MB in  0.39 seconds =328.21 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads:  64 MB in  1.96 seconds = 32.65 MB/sec

/dev/hde:

 Model=MAXTOR 4K040H2, FwRev=A08.1500, SerialNo=572202000924
 Config={ HardSect NotMFM HdSw>15uSec Fixed DTR>10Mbs }
 RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=32256, SectSize=21298, ECCbytes=4
 BuffType=DualPortCache, BuffSize=2000kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=16
 CurCHS=16383/16/63, CurSects=-66060037, LBA=yes, LBAsects=78198750
 IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
 PIO modes: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
 DMA modes: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 *udma5
 AdvancedPM=no
 Drive Supports : ATA/ATAPI-5 T13 1321D revision 1 : ATA-1 ATA-2 ATA-3
ATA-4 ATA-5

 Timing buffer-cache reads:   128 MB in  0.38 seconds =336.84 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads:  64 MB in 60.40 seconds =  1.06 MB/sec

Quote:> > but load average sky rockets when it's first
> > recontructing the (empty) array.
> DMA not working ?

fixable with hdparm?

Quote:> > The machine is a 1.6GHz P4 with
> another word "piece of shit" :(

Do I detect an AMD lover? ;-)

Quote:> RDram ? if not then DO NOT expect nothing more from your supa mega
> blastic P4 coz it will run like a $40 Celery 766MHz

DDR PC2100 blah blah?

Thanks for your help!

begin  Paul Crick  nap3odzi3(a):

Quote:> /dev/hda:

>  Timing buffer-cache reads:   128 MB in  0.39 seconds =328.21
>  MB/sec Timing buffered disk reads:  64 MB in  1.96 seconds =
>  32.65 MB/sec

normal

Quote:> /dev/hde:
>  Timing buffer-cache reads:   128 MB in  0.38 seconds =336.84
>  MB/sec Timing buffered disk reads:  64 MB in 60.40 seconds =
>  1.06 MB/sec

OMFG !! :)
hdparm -d1 /dev/hde

or D/L 2.4.18-pre9-ac4 kernel with latest IDE FIXES

Quote:>> DMA not working ?
> fixable with hdparm?

abowe line may (should) fit it

Quote:>> > The machine is a 1.6GHz P4 with
>> another word "piece of shit" :(
> Do I detect an AMD lover? ;-)

this is reality :)

Quote:>> RDram ? if not then DO NOT expect nothing more from your supa
>> mega blastic P4 coz it will run like a $40 Celery 766MHz
> DDR PC2100 blah blah?

with i845D ? if not the abowe sentence about Celeron is true :)

Pozdrawiam.
--
RusH   // BigTowerATX CaseMod
 http://kiti.pulse.pdi.net/707
http://ut-to.kopnet.gliwice.pl
0-608-104-855 654-47-06 Piotrek

I'm using RedHat Linux 7.2, and I am currently using the driver from
Promise for the FastTrak100tx.  It works great, except I haven't found a
way to upgrade, or rebuild my kernel, and continue to get this driver to
work.  Is this possible, or is the software level driver included the
only way, and, if so, what is it's comparisons to performance as with the
driver from Promise?

begin  Mark Winkelman  nap3odzi3(a):

Quote:> I'm using RedHat Linux 7.2, and I am currently using the driver
> from Promise for the FastTrak100tx.  It works great, except I
> haven't found a way to upgrade, or rebuild my kernel, and continue
> to get this driver to work.

you dont have to , newer kernels have native support (2.4.18)

Pozdrawiam.
--
RusH   // BigTowerATX CaseMod
 http://kiti.pulse.pdi.net/707
http://ut-to.kopnet.gliwice.pl
0-608-104-855 654-47-06 Piotrek